Rotary internal combustion engine



May 19, 1942. c. s. GROSS v ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 21,

[N VENTOR mar/gs A. floss A Nay May 19, 1%2. c. GROSS $283,433

ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 21, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEY Patented May 19, 1942 UNITED STATES ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Charles S. Gross, Long Beach, Calif.

Application October 21, 1940, Serial No. 362,113

Claims.

This invention relates to a rotary internal combustion engine.

Among the objects of. theinvention are: To provide a superior means for maintaining'the outer ends of a plurality of radially arranged blade-like pistons in a proper contactual relation to the inner periphery of the housing or casing for said pistons; to provide, in conjunction with the feature just stated, an eflicient means wall l2, and with a like working fit at its opposite end against the casing end wall l3.

Each of the spider arms I 6 has cut into its middle portion from the outer end a, radial slot 20 6 ,which receives a composite piston structure M with a working fit. The outer end portion of each piston structure 2| has a wiping contact with the inner surface of the casing wall ll. said wall being recessed at diametrically opposite areas,

for accurately taking up the wear occurring bethus providing at one side a chamber'22 between tween the outer ends of said pistons and the inner surface of the wall of the housing; and to provide a superior construction for the individual piston members, whereby a more eflloient wipitself and the rotor assembly and at the opposite side a chamber 23 between itself and the rotor assembly. The cup shaped part I5 of the rotor has an axially extended thickened end portion or ing contact is made between their outer ends and 3 hub 24, and the main mounting and power transthe periphery of the housing.

Still other objects of the invention pertain to a superior construction of the rotary frame which forms a part of the piston assembly whereby great mission axle 25 has an intermediate tapered portion 26 to which this hub part is made fast byany suitable means. In Fig. 4 of the drawings the shaft 25 is shown furnished with a screw stresses of fluid pressure are safely controlled, and threaded portion 21' on t which screws t in various other particulars, to provide a more sturdy, dependable and satisfactory means for mounting and controlling the various parts of the engine.

28 cooperating with a washer 29 whereby the hub is clamped in a friction tight relation to the shaft. The enlarged portion of the shaft as viewed in Fig. 4, is preferably utilized for power Referrin to he a m y drawings. which .25 transmission, while the left-hand portion 25a of illustrate what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical mid-section of the complete engine structure on line l-l of Fig. 4.

Fig. 2 is a-fragmental sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. l, with pistons omitted.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view on line 3-8 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical mid-section taken substanthe shaft may be operatively connected with the ignition and-other means, not shown. Around the left portion 25a of the shaft, as seen in Fig. 80 4, an outer annular bearing member 30 is protially along the axis of the rotor, the plane of mounting the Shaft section being indicated by the line 6-6 on Fig. 1, with plungers and rocker arms omitted.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged reproduction of the lower portion of Fig. 4, showing in detail parts omitted from the latter view. 3

Figs. 6 and 7 are face views of certain of the composite wiping plates.

Referring in detail to the drawings, therein is shown a casing structure comprising a wall If 4 of a generally circular shape which, in conjunction with end walls i2 and it forms a housing that contains a rotor assembly. Said rotor assembly is of a spider-like character and includes a cylindrical peripheral wall It, a circular inner Referring to the structure of the rotor and its piston means, each of the piston structures 2| is of a laminated character and at its inner end engages a head or bar 33 against which a rocker arm 34 acts in a follow-up manner to keep the outer end of each piston assembly 2! in proper contact with the casing wall Hi. Each rocker arm 84 is furnished with a support 35 whereby it is pivotally mounted upon the spider structure. At the side of said pivotal mounting opposite to its 'body portion 34 said rocker arm is furnished with a foot portion 36 engaged by a compression spring 31 which acts between said foot portion and the adjacent part of the wall it, said spring causing the arm 34 to constantly abut against the member 33 to hold each individual lamina of the adjacent piston assembly 2| in a proper wiping engagement with the inner casingwall I I,

one end with a working fit against the casing end th laminas being slightly slidable in relation to each other. Each arm 34 projects through a slot [6.9 in the adjacent side of the arms 18.

In addition to the diametrically opposite piston chambers 22 and 23, which have already been mentioned, there is provided at one side of the structure between said chambers an elongated narrow space 40 between the periphery of the rotor and the wall ll of the casing, and diametrically opposite to said space 40 the rotor is in continuous engagement with the casing wall along the surface line ill (see lower right-hand portion of Fig. 1). The inner wall H'of the casing is curved in such a manner at the end portions of the chambers 22 and 23 as to provide for the proper control of the fluid pressures to be produced within the casing and to afford smooth cam contacts for the end portions of the pistons as they travel along said wall.

As an auxiliary cam means for controlling the sliding movements of the four piston assemblies shown, the right-hand end of the bearing member as viewed in Fig. 4 is furnished with a thick peripheral flange portion tla which forms the multiple cam element numbered in the same way in Fig. 1. This cam element together with the bearing member of which it forms a part is nonrotatable. With the cam portion of this member cooperate the four plungers 35 which operate in suitable guides 66 provided for them in the spider.

Said plungers have tapped into their outer ends the adjustable bolts ll the heads 58 of which act against the oiiset portions 69 oi the arms 50 carried by the rocker arms 36. By this construction, means is provided whereby the wiping end portions of the piston assemblies 2i can be caused to contact with an accurate, continuous working fit upon the wall ll of the casing. Otherwise, at high speeds of rotation there would be a tendency for the pistons to fail to maintain proper wiping contacts. The guide means 46 for each of the plungers 45 includes a cap 46a.

The housing of the engine is shown almost piston assembly is shown consisting of four composite plates, two outer plates 61 of identical design, and two intermediate plates 68 and 69. With the inner ends of these plate assemblies cooperates the already mentioned member 33, said member being a cylindrical rod except for the fact that it has a large flat bottomed recess 331* out in a symmetrical manner in one side, said recess being of a semi-cylindrical shape. Against the bottom of this recess abuts the inner 'end of each plate of the piston assembly 2|.

Describing in detail the outside lamina or plates of each piston plate assembly 2|, each of said outer plates 61 is of a composite character and comprises the three separate plate parts 61a, 61b and 610, these three plate elements all occupying the same plane, being positioned in an adjacent edgewise relation to each other. The body portion of the plate 610 is of a proper length and width to cause its outer edge and its end edges respectively to fit against the bottom and the ends of the recess 33:- in the bar 33. At its ends the plate Elahas narrowed portions d, I, one of these narrowed portions 1 abutting in an endwise manner against an extension e of the plate Bib and the opposite extension d abutting against the edge portion of an extension h of the plate 61b. The outer edges of the plates 67a and 67b have wiping contacts with the end walls of the chamber wherein the rotor operates. Clearances are provided as shown between the adjacent edge portions of the plate 57b and 61d completely surrounded by water jacket sections;

there being at one end. of the casing a water jacket section 55, at the opposite end thereof a water jacket section 56, and there also being a peripheral water jacket section 51. The latter water jacket section is recessed at 58 to provide and of the plates 61b and Sia. These clearances are occupied by marcel springs G6 which crowd the plates apart in an edgewise manner so that the composite plate structure will always make a good wiping fit both with the peripheral wall of the chamber for the rotor and with the end walls of said chamber. It will be observed that the bar 33 does not extend the entire width of the rotor but will nevertheless, under the urge of the follower arm 84 cause the various outer elements of the plate structure 61 allof them to make good wiping contact with the inner g periphery of the housing, the interfitting arspace for access to the passage 59. When the case being screwed into said passage; but when a spark plug is used it will be substituted for the injector. As shown in the lower right-hand portion of Fig. 1 the peripheral water jacket section 57 is also cut away throughout a sufiicient area to provide room for the engine intake passage 60 and its exhaust passage 6|. The various parts of the water jacket structure are held in place by any suitable means, for example, bolts 62. The water jacket is provided with suitable water lines 63, 64 and 65.

In each of the individual laminated pistons, the meeting lines of the plate parts ofeach of the four composite laminas 61, 68 and 69 do not match each other but are staggered in such a way that, like properly laid shingles on a. roof, they present no crevices or cracks to permit leakage.

Describing in greater detail the structure of the laminated pistons 2i and of related parts, in the illustrated embodiment of the inventi n, each rangement of the plates 67a and 67b insuring that said plate 67a will also be urged radially outward.

Describing next the composite lamina 68 of Fig. 6, said lamina consists of two identical side plates 68a and a central plate 682;, the latter plate being bluntly wedge-shaped as seen in said view with its apex located at the meeting line' of the plates 68a. Said plates 68a are provided with inner edge portions which slope downwardly to the apex of the plate 68b in correspondence with the slope of the lower edges of said plate 682). Like the plate 61c alreadydescribed, the plate 68?) has its body portion so shaped as to fit with a working fit against the bottom and ends of the recess 33r in the bar 33. Each plate 68a has an extension 1 the inner edge of which abuts against the adjacent end'of the bar 33.

Describing the lamina 69, said lamina is a composite plate composed of the individual plates 69a, 69b, 69c and 69d, these plates being arranged similarly to the piston plates just described except that their adjacent and meeting edges are somewhat differently shaped. Like the plate 68b, the plate 69c is bluntly wedge-shaped. Its lower edges fit substantially against the upper inclined inner edges of the plates 69a and 69b. The latter two plates, however, do not meet along a perpendicular line but along the inclined meeting edge 69m. The object of providing the aasaess wedge-shape for the plates 58b and 880 is to cause an outward crowding of the side plates in each instance so as to make good wiping contact with the inner sides of the end walls of the casing. The plate 69d of Fig. 7 is of the nature of a follower and is slightly separated from the plate 69c, the space thus provided being occupied by another of'the marcel springs 66. The upper edge portion of the plate 69d is related to the bar 33 in the same way as is the plate 88b. In the plate structures shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7, in each instance a clearance 11. is shown between certain shoulder portions of the plates and the end portions of the bar 33 in order to insure that the intermediate portions of the plates adjacent to said bar 33 contact with the recessed portion of the bar in the proper manner.

'It may be said that the various composite laminas of each piston assembly overlie each other in such a manner as to break joints and are composed of plate portions having edges which interilt in an angular manner, and that, with regard to the two outer plates of each piston a central plate section is provided which has a wedging action between two other plates, causing the latter two plates to maintain a good wiping contact with the inner surface of the end walls of the rotor housing.

Into the sides of the rotor slots 20, into which fit the various laminated piston assemblies, are cut grooves Hi, containing packing, there also being provided, as extensions of said grooves I0, oil pockets ii and 12 arranged to'prevent waste of oil under the urge of centrifugal force, or flooding the engine. For this purpose said oil pockets are formed as annular grooves cored into the inner side of each end wall of the rotor and inclined so as to direct their mouths toward the axis of the rotor. Each of said grooves communicates with the oil chamber 75, the outer groove ll having an oil feed and drain passage Ha fed from a tube Hb which leads to the outside of the casing. The rotor carries at each side an annular oil deflector member 16 desirably having a foot portion 11 whereby it is riveted or otherwise secured to the rotor. Said members 16 extend into the mouth portions of the pockets H and I and are p efe b y o d as strips of sheet metal.

The housing wall It is furnished at one side with a pair of cam portions Ila, lib, and at its opposite side with a pair of cam portions Mo and Md, the cams of the latter pair being considerably farther apart than those of the former. Between the cam portions Ma and Ilb said rotor is in a continuous working contact with the wall of the housing; but the portion of the rotor bea tween the cams m.- and l' id is spaced somewhat away. from the wall of the housing, thus providing the elongated narrow space 40, already mentioned. Said space 40 amounts to an attenuated extension of the upper piston chamber, this extension being of a uniform thickness from its outer end to its juncture with the cam Md, and being directed toward the advancing pistons it is preferably wide enough to extend across the entire width of the rotor.

In the operation of the apparatus, starting with the parts positioned as shown in Fig. l,

the compressed gaseous fuel in the space leftward of the upper piston assembly is just being ignited, a fresh charge of fuel having begun at this time to be entrained through the fuel intake passage 60 shown in the lower right-hand portion of the view. As the various pistons continue to travel in a clock-wise direction under the urge of the ignited explosive mixture leftward of the upper piston, the left-hand piston will swing upwardly toward the position of the uppermost piston without the movement of said left-hand piston being much impeded, because said lefthand piston encounters but a small area of the I 'to the body of fuel thus entrained being compressed by the next following piston of the series.

It will not be necessary to describe in further detail the entraining and expelling, respectively. of the fuel mixture and of the burnt gases, as these operations are well understood inthe art to which the invention pertains. Also the cooperative actions of the rocker arms 34, reacting to the movements of the cam controlled pistons with which they cooperate, as well as the simultaneous actions of the plungers d5 controlled by the central cam member will be best understood by observing their positions and relations to the cam means shown in detail in Fig. 1.

Each of the generally cylindrical abutment members 33 has a slightly rolling contact with the follower arm 34 which engages it, which enables said abutment members to turn slightly as the blades of the composite pistons pass over cam portions of the casing.

It will be seen that each individual piston blade of each piston assembly contacts at each outer end with the inner periphery of the casing chamber, thus providing a plurality of wiping contacts instead of the single contact that would result if each piston consisted only of a single blade. This laminated piston structure therefore reduces the retrograde passage of the explosive mixture and produces a more economical operation of the engine.

I claim:

1. In a rotary internal combustion engine, a casing, a rotor assembly therein having a plurality of radial pistons of a blade-like character,

said assembly comprising a frame furnished with cam portions along which the outer ends of said pistons travel, centralnonrotatable multiple cam means mounted on said frame, a plurality of radially movable plungers carried by said frame and having inner ends acted upon by said multiple cam, the outer ends of said plungers being individually'in a follow-up relation to said rocker arms at the same sides of their pivots as said pistons, and adjustable wear take-up means between said plungers and rocker arms, there being intake, compression, firing, and exhaust chambers between the rotor assembly and the internal periphery'of the casing and ports to control the movement of fuel and air into and from said chambers. 7

2. The subject matter of claim 1 and, said tons traveling over said cam portions, said frame having guides wherein said pistons are slidably mounted, rocker arms pivotaliy mounted upon said rotor frame, each of said rocker arms having a limb in a followup relation to the inner end of a said piston with which it cooperates and having on the outer side: of its pivotal mounting a foot portion which extends in an adjacent generally parallel relation to the periphery of said rotor frame, and a spring acting between 20 said foot portion and the adjacent peripheral part of said rotor frame to maintain said limb of said rocker arm in a pressure exerting followup relation to the piston with which it cooperates.

4. In combination, a rotor construction for internal combustion engines comprising a rotor frame, a casing for said frame including a chamber having internal peripheral cam portions, radial pistons carried by said rotor frame and positioned to travel over said cam portions, said frame having guides wherein said pistons are slidably mounted, each of said pistons being of a composite character and consisting of a Pinrality of blades or plates in a flatwise contacting relation to each other, there being a cylindrical abutment member for each of the composite pistons against which the individual blades of said piston abut at their inner ends, and a spring pressed follow-up swingabiy mounted arm a side portion of which engages the inner side of said abutment member to maintain the outer ends of the pistons in a wiping relation to the inner surface of the periphery of the housing chamber, said cylindrical member having a slightly rolling contact with said arm.,

5. The subject matter of claim 4 and, said cylindrical abutment member having a recess in one side furnished with a flat bottom and saidpiston blades individually contacting at their inner ends with the bottom of said recess.

CHARLES S. GROSS. 

